Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1879 — Partly Reminiscent. [ARTICLE]

Partly Reminiscent.

A Kansas radical State Senator says his State doesn’t want the negroes. The president has nominated FrarP. Vanwyck, of Illinois, consol at Turks Island. On last Tuesday, in the U. S. Senate, Senator Thurman was elected Vice President pro tem. The people of Kansas are beginning to realize the effects of negro emigration. Indignation meettngs have been held and oalls have been made upon the State government to in torfere. An emergency clause is attached to the new Homestead law, exempting from execution S6OO worth of r>roperty, real or personal, to every head of a family. The law. therefore, is now in full force. Rullivan, HL, Progress: “Dr. O. C. Link has located at Rensselaer, Indiana. in the practice of medicine. Dr. Link and his estimable lady have many friends in this part of Illinois who wish them unbounded success. The army appropriation bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 148 to 122—26 majority. The Democrats, and all the Nationals bu l trfo, voting therefor, and the Republicans solid in opposition. This wo’d indicate that the Republican party is “in favor of starving the army.” The betrothal of Moses Tuteu'r and Miss Rachel Bass, of Rensselaer, Ind., is announced. Both are well-known and much loved in Lafayette.—Courier. The fishing season’s now at hand, A sport ’tla well to learn: These parties now will fish while love, Doth in their bosoms burn. And should the bride Instruction need, As on the hours pass; "Rachel will then a Il'Teub have, While Moses cutches Bass. [Lafayette Leader. A scheme s being evolved in Washington, whereby 100.000 colored voters are to be colonized in New York, > 75,000 In Indiana, and 50.000 in Ohio. It is hoped thus to render the supremacy of the Republican party assur ed. The fact that a large proportion of the negro voters are Democrats might sadly interfere with the Republican programme. And then the pursuance of such a scheme by the radical leaders might prove the happy means of inducing thousands of Republicans who earn their bread by the sweat of heir brow to assume the patriotic duty of voting the Democratic ticket. So mote it be. The ex confederate loyalists, wliese ains of treason is wiped out the moment they become members of the radical party, now and then receive a Center shot which completely demoralizes them. Col. Warner, a National M.C. from Ohio, who served with dis tiuction in the Union array, the other day put the following poser to one of these ex-rebels who is now a blatten) loyal republican: Mr. Warner wanted to know why the- gentleman from. North Carolina would have the House to vore to pay tor property which he (R issell), while in the Confederate service, had helped to destroy.

Ifaj. Calkins has procured the ap poiulment of Horace E. James, editor of the Union, as postmaster of Rensselaer What has become of the Packard-James libel suit?— Messen per. Yes, yes, jess’ so, jess’ so. What has Become of that famous libel suit? We felt a little axious about that then the Union veered around and supported Gen. Packard’s attorney for Congress.— LaPorte Argus. Ah, then, it was the lovelj? William, of Laporte, and not petitioners, of Jasper county, who wrought the change. Well, well, the Congressional apportionment had been made, William was left out of this district, and he didn’t care a continental about the wishes of the people interested. The New York World very appropriately says :“Tf any Democrat de sires to decorate the repeal of the statutes for the abuse of the army at the polls with expressive phraseology, we advise him to insert in the biU enacting it words used by Mr. Everts, (Secretary of State) in a great speech in this city, Jan. 12, 1875. In that speech Mr. Everts culled upon tne American people to demand “the absolute abstinence of the federal power from interference ia the States except upon the invitation of the Le gislature for the suppression of actual violence, and upon its withdrawal-ina-mediately and necessarily after that violence is suppressed.” A Tool* fellow, resident in North Carolina, employed by the radical committee to get up capital for them, writes ter John Sherman: “Inclosed please find a SI,OOO-bond of the Confederate States of America, issued in accordance with the sixth section of an act of the Confederate Congress* February 17,1864. I desire- to havfe my bond filed for redemption at some future day. I believe that a law, soon--er or later, will be passed making these convertible into United States bon<ls.“ -And this letter is telegraphed all oVer the country by Cowboy Sherman to frighten the timid and shaky of his party back into the ranks of the exclusively loyal. The recent Jeff. Davis speech of Z. Chandler is having a great run, while booksellers report no demand for the speeches of Daniel Webster or Everett, This Is undoubtedly because Mr. Chandler’s style of oratory is better adapted to the average republican h • tellect than, the worjis of the great BUstefi

Lately, while examining files of Ths Umiox published in 1869, our eyes were arrested by a* sketch of the incidents that occurred in (be days of the pioneer white settlers of Jasper county. The historian relates that in the fail of 1836 Mr. Joseph D. Yeoman, Mr. John Nowela, little David Nowela and a young girl named Ellen, traveled up the northwestern bank of the Iroquois river with aa ox-team and ’one nightfall went into camp on the geographical spot that has since become locally known as ‘‘Liberal Corner,” whieh spot Is situated on the northeast corner of the square where Front street crosses Washington street in the town of Rensselaer. This camp they made their headquarters for several weeks, while employed in building a winter shelter for Mr. Yeoman's familyThis shelter was an unhewn log cabin of the primitive style of architecture then prevailing throughout this region and still to be met occasionally in the less frequented and sparsely settled districts of North America. A hollow square was enclosed by a low wall of rough logs, notched at the ends to keep them in place; clapboards, split from oaks of the native primeval forest, kept in place by weight-poles, made the roof. There was no floor save the lap of Mother Earth, no carpeting but the frost-dyed verdure. Neither parlor woodburning stove, anthracite base-burner, nor cheerful grate was there to warm the ehill December air, but a heap of burning logs in the center of the enclosure gave the heat necessary for cooking and comfort, while the removal of a few clapboards from the top course of the roof gave polite and mute suggestion of place of egress for the siuoke and vapor. It is probable that a bettyr ventilated dwelling was never built in the county. TAts was the first building made by man on the site of Rensselaer since the foundations of the earth were laid of which there w record. It is believed to have stood about where the race bridge now is, at the Washington street crowing, possibly a few feet southeastward. The persons who helped at the building of this edifice were, Joseph D. Yeoman, John Newels, Mrs. Sarah Yeoman and David Nowela.

Of the four who thus laid the foundation of the thriving town of Rensselaer, forty years ago, only one is now Jiving. For four decades, two and a half generations, Mr. David Nowels has had residence in Rensselaer or in its immediate vicinity. He has seen the aboriginal inhabitants of the region dispos»ewed and borne westward beyond the great arterial rivers of the continent, by the aggre.-sive, unpitying tide of another race and strange civilization. He has seen the wild indigenous vegetation superseded by plants cultivated for the sustenance of the invaders. The places where fed wild animals and where their young were born and reared aTo the pasture grounds of the domesticated horse, sheep, hog and horned cattle. The solitudes that were invaded by the shrill cry of savage beasts and birds of prey, or the fierce whoop of no less savage men, are solitudes no longer, and the sounds now hoard are those of civilization, the arts and improvement. The trail of the Indian and the faint track of game have been obliteiated by the streets, highways and railroads of the Anglo-Saxon. The wilderness, coy and modest and untutored, has been wooed and won, and is now the sedate and stately and experienced matron, the mother of many robust children. There are only three or four persons besides Mr. Nowols, if there is another, who have been so long and so intimately identified with the growth and development of Jasper county and its capital town. Unobtrusive, industrious and far-seeing, Mr. Nowels has accumulated a modest competence, which has been patiently earned with hard work from the natural resources of the locality —the developed productiveness of the soil; always found among the men who give strength, solidity and charater to the enterprises which have drained the stagnant pools from seme of the most productive lands, which introduced societies that have fostered agriculture and encouraged improvements in its various departments, which gave us railroad communication with the great busy, progressive, world of business and made a good market at our doors—ho is justly rated among the best and most valuable citizens of Jasper county. As was said before, Mr. David Nowels is the sole survivor of the pioneer party of builders who made the nucleus around which the town of Rensselaer has accumulated and crystalized. Nearly half a century, with its mighty changes to nations and peoples, has passed over the world since he began the work of building up, and ho is still making improvments. Commencing with the primitive cabin of the first settlers, he has kept pace with the improvements which settlement, civilization and invention bavf introduced, and has just finished the largest and most imposing building in the county. It is a brick structure, three stories high, 70 x 80 feet ground dimensions. It is situated on the southeast corner of Washington and Front streets, Rensselaer, directly opposite to and less than one hundred feet from the eld camping ground of forty years ago, and within an easy stone’s-cast of little old log cabin that first nestled among the forest fringe that shaded the rippling waters of the Iroquois rapids. The ground floor is thus arranged: Beginning at the northwest corner, there is a suit of handsome rooms fronting on Washington street, and a wellbuilt vault, occupied by Messrs. R. 8. & Z. Dwiggins, lawyers, proprietors of the Citizens’ Bank; next eastward is a wide hall and stairway the main entrance to the hotel rooms above; eastward from this entrance are two apartments each 20 x 85 feet in size, each having front and rear doors, that are furnished with counters, drawers, shelving, etc., and fitted up for stores ; in rear of the bank office, and entirely disconnected from it, is a room 20x20 feet, nicely finished, that would be admirable for the office of a lawyer, doctor, dentist, or agent. It epens On Front street. The entire second and third stories of this fine house have been arranged with special reference to hotel purposes. On the second floor are, the office, baggageroom, ladies’ reception and-dressing rooms, gentlemen’s reading and' smoking room, the dining room, kitchen, pantby, closets, washroom, barber-shop and billiard hall. The third floor is partitioned off into twen-ty-three large bedrooms and ample passageways. Attached to the building, and, if necessary, may be connected with the firtt floor of the hotel, are five’ good bedrooms and a suite consisting of parlor and‘- bedroom, the parlor fronting upon Washington street. All necessary outbuildings, cellar, and ample drainage, are conveniently connected with the hotel. On the first floor of the hotel are both* soft and sulphur water in abundant supply. The building and its appointments are all upon a liberal scale, when comparison is made with present, surroundings. It is a generous-private enterprise, an ornament of which* the town may be justly proud, and, when once people abroad learn that comfortable quarters may be had in this region of beautiful scenery, flowing wells, medicinal springs, good' fishing,- excellent hunting, intelligent and well-bred people, pleasant summer elimate, and innumerable attractions, they will flock higher from the turmoil of cities, and the building will prove a source of profit to the owner, letsee, and those who do business in the town. It is a noble monument to the enterprise of a public-spirited gentleman.— Rensselaer Union..